Dance Dance Reprobation

[magicademymods]

The Twilight Ball Arrival The Promenade has been transformed. Literally. With Modification. Ha ha. Cough. Crickets. Toad familiars eat the crickets. Circle of life. Animals bow before singing lions. You get the idea. Neither tree nor stone form the Promenade now. It is instead a long bridge over a shallow and brilliant pool, the gentle ripples of which catch the afternoon sun and scatter it into a million highlights that play over the Great Hall, the bridge, and those who walk down it. There is no formal receiving line, merely a gentle procession of people across the bridge at whatever speed feels comfortable, slowly making their way to the Great Hall. The Great Hall itself has been enchanted to be completely invisible while one is inside it, save for the outline of doors so people can actually find their way out through means other than smacking their noses into the invisible walls till they find a place with no resistance. Thus the twilight for which the ball is named will show all around the dancers, while they are protected from any errant breezes, faint hints of rain, or slime monsters that might otherwise threaten the festivity. Come in. Find your date and get comfortable. The fun is just beginning. Let the Revels Begin After Headmaster Birony welcomes everyone with a speech about she's going to get on her boat, go upriver, and kick that sonuvabitch Bison's ass so HORDT that the next Bison-wannabe is gonna feel it, the dance formally begins with a peppy number designed to get people out and moving. The orchestra here comprises some of the finest players available anywhere in the world, thanks to the whole Valhudor shtick and graduates of said house, and the music is infectious as it drifts through the slowly-darkening air. But as the dance progresses, they play something for everyone. Martial waltzes and slow dance ballroom numbers. Powerful tunes to lose yourself in, and gentle melodies that slip beneath conversation and encourage intimacy and closeness. Professors Trammel and King treat everyone to an exhibition of what an Earth resident might call 'swing dancing on amphetamines' and many students do call 'the closest I have ever come to death'. No pause for speeches, no announcements or interruptions -- just a steady stream of music, bringing dates and lovers together in dance, as the sun sets and casts the room into gentle and romantic twilight. Also a dolphin and a whale are swimming through the floor and they, too, are unmistakably dancing. If this is the weirdest thing you've seen all night, you need your eyes checked. "Food! One of the food tables has been discreetly slid against a wall, where it positively shudders under the weight of a massive buffet open to everyone. The food here tends towards the light, such as fish and vegetables, cucumber sandwiches and thin-sliced meats. Things that will give you energy without weighing you down, so you can keep dancing till the dawn comes. At one end of the table, an owl the size of a cupboard sits on a perch, serenely watching the varied drinks laid out for consumption. 'Spiking the punch' is so cliche that no one is going to pretend it won't happen or the students will behave on their honor, so here you get a chaperone. Even so, this whole area is a popular gathering spot for those between dances or partners, drawing steady attention throughout the night. Meanwhile, Elsewhere Shockingly, not everyone has found that loving feeling, asked out an attractive someone, and gone to the dance with romance on their minds. The rest of the campus, and of course Anastara itself, remain open as normal... and perhaps even less-minded than normal. The faculty, the familiars, the cleaning golems -- almost all attention is on the dance itself. If there's mischief to manage, now would be the perfect time... or just something else besides wallflowering and missing out. Wait, Wasn't There a Ghost Dragon and an Off-Brand Shoggoth? Professor King managed to find a way around the protoplasmic ooze's resistance to magic and splatted it (with no small amount of help from students and faculty!). The dragon disappeared into the caverns beneath the Magicademy. That certainly isn't ominous and won't inspire anyone to go down there, will it? Don't fall in the river down there. Please don't fall in the river.

Comments

[woo_oo]

You know what else is good for health and mental stability?

DANCING!

[Come with her, Orisa!!!]

[puzzlers]

[ he stifles a chuckle. ]

If you want, maybe after the dance, we can see if we can make something like that. We'll call it an experiment~

[burningbrighter]

"Oh, don't worry about it! I'm not much of a flower girl either."

It was a beautiful night. She spun around happily, taking in all the sights, and eventually came to view the barrette. It was lovely. Symbolic, too. She giggled and clipped it in her hair.

"Of course! I'd love to. Don't worry, I've got plenty of people to see...but I know we're going to show them how it's done."

She winked and nudged him. Honestly, Cliff was doing pretty well for a date.

[burningbrighter]

Yeah. I've been meaning to check out this book I saw in the library. Eiather's really big on that kind of thing---finding meaning in the stars and casting spells according to what it says.

[burningbrighter]

"What about me?"

Sunset's smile faded too, but she was determined not to let her mood bring her down for long.

"Honestly, I haven't really thought much about dating since Flash. You know how that ended. I know I'm a different person now, and you're the only one here who knows just how bad I was, but when someone loves you it's so easy to hurt them. I'd never try to, not anymore, but...I guess part of me is still scared."

Her steps slowed, and she squeezed Fluttershy.

"I'll be okay. I just need some more time."

[blue_ice]

[ That he can respect. Kaiba follows her lead simply enough, and she seems to be moving at just the right speed for his coattails to swish dramatically. That's always nice. ]

I have to admit it. You're not bad.

[blue_ice]

Kaiba would roll his eyes if he was talking to anyone else, but this is a magic school. This is a subject people are interested in here.

"Yugi and Atem know more about the subject than me, and it's not my place to tell you everything, but suffice to say that our card game was created in the image of ancient Egyptian games involving the transformation of human souls into monsters. Magic that powerful was conferred by ancient items that were dug up at exactly the wrong time, and somehow all our duels ended up being haunted by the ghosts of the past."

"The items could condemn souls, contain souls, show visions of possible futures, invade minds, possess people...they were dangerous, in other words, and we had to duel the people wielding all of them, almost none of whom should have been entrusted with that power."

He scoffed and shook his head. "You try to throw a tournament and all this nonsense keeps happening. I hated magic until I arrived here, and I still don't like it much. It's too easy to abuse."

[king_of_egypt]

Oh? And just what is your question?

[Wondering briefly if they would return to talking about artifacts, curses, or mysticism]

I would be delighted. [Nodding as he accepted]

[blue_ice]

"The only social events I ever knew were stuffy, so I'm feeling a little out of place."

He watches as the swing dancing gets particularly intense and sighs. Thankfully that number seems to be almost over.

"Instead we have a student body obsessed with impressing their dates. I'm not sure if that's worse."

Says someone dressed in his finest light colored suit to impress his own date.

[blue_ice]

Mm. It could be worse.

[ Kaiba raises a glass to Isabel, and the look on his face is almost approving. Congrats on being on the short list of people he tolerates. ]

And I could. Come here.

[ He moves into a perfect posture and offers his hand all gentleman-like. He has a handle on this part, at least.]

[blue_ice]

Mm. Then I want to help you find it, Atem.

[ His face colors a little. Surely Atem's referring to the leather collars and such, but...he can't help but imagine. No. Wishful thinking.

The song ends and he steps back and bows. Something he'd normally never do, especially not for Atem...but there's something deep inside him coming out under the stars tonight. ]

Thank you, Atem. You're one of the best partners I've had all night, but that's no surprise.

[king_of_egypt]

Mm, they certainly have been. [Their magnanimous hosts didn't have to look so kindly on the sundered as they did. Sure, some professors were more prickly and less inclined to be hospitable but by and large it was a welcoming and safe environment. The robes did seem to suit her, and were formal enough for the occasion. Procuring another outfit might have been difficult]

Have you have an opportunity to dance with many of the others? You seem to have adapted to the steps well.

[blue_ice]

What, don't see the resemblance? Well. They're fairly different enough for humans. Kaiba gives Spyro a small nod of acknowledgment.

"I'm guessing there's no map. At minimum we'll need light---I'm sure you have that, but I can be a backup. And some working protective glyphs wouldn't hurt either. I know a few."

His tone leaves no room for argument, but his face softens a little with what he says next. "The name's Seto Kaiba, by the way."

[king_of_egypt]

That's kind of you, Kaiba.

[ in that instance, he definitely wasn't. Atem could have saved the brunette the trouble of pondering the true meaning but he didn't. Drawing direct attention to it would be akin to a confession, which he wasn't at liberty to give to anyone right now. The leather collars weren't that bad either. He would wear such a thing again since he couldn't exactly see wearing the pectoral jewelry of the past in a more modern time and he was used to having something around his neck]

[Atem is surprised by the gesture, and warmed by it]

Shouldn't I be saying the same thing?

[bearshermark]

[His steps falter a moment, pulse quickening. It takes him several seconds to settle back into the flow of music]

I- sorry. I wasn't expecting.. [Another glance down at the artifact, uneasy. Why had it come to him of all people?] You're sure it's safe?

[perfectenn]

"That is understandable if you haven’t had training in dance." Tenn moves further away from the dance floor, trusting Louie to follow. "It's a technique that minimizes dizziness. As you spin, you focus your attention on something. Your goal is not to take your eyes off it until you have to. This helps with balance as well."

Looking to a colorful arrangement at the buffet table, he demonstrates with another set of spins, turning five times in rapid motion and keeping his head as steady as he can. Coming to a standstill, he brushes his bangs back. "Like that."

[areasontohope]

At this point, Yuki almost choked on the bit about sacrifice and daggers. This sounded like something Hanajima would say so maybe he shouldn't have been all that surprised to hear something like this in another world.

Webby hadn't had that effect on him yet though, and for that he was grateful. He looked back at Tango and Ballet for a moment and then back to his companion.

"You never know, you might find someone like that here."

[unswervingcompanion]

The knight nodded.

"I have met Louie, but fortune favors you to have them here in this case."

Huey wasn't someone he had met, but maybe their paths would one day eventually cross.

[king_of_egypt]

[Atem tries to compensate for the missteps so that neither of them is in danger of toppling over. Something he said seems to have unsettled Eleven]

It's alright.... [Searching the others features questioningly. Sure- the items and their powers made plenty of people uneasy, but he knew not why Eleven should be so leery when the puzzle wasn't emanating it's usual aura] Mm, yes. Perfectly safe, especially now that it's in my hands. [He had a sort of connection to the puzzle, that he didn't really fear it. Sure he was mindful of what it was capable of, and of some of the liberties he had taken with it early on- but that was before he had time to get a better handle on it]

I wouldn't use it's powers unjustly.

[outofyourshadow]

Lena was silent a moment as she met Webby's eyes. But that smile had her heart skipping a bit.

(Does she even actually have a heart? How was she made, honestly?)

But after a long moment, she managed a smile of her own. "Yeah...I know you will."

[outofyourshadow]

"Well hey, at least you guys don't have to worry about that here." Then she grins. "And if anyone gives you any trouble about it, lemme know. I'll give 'em a good hex for you."

His invitation to dance has her hesitating a bit, though, mostly because she's still new at really dancing around people. But after a moment, she nods.

"Yeah...all right."

[outofyourshadow]

"That's...one way to describe him," she replied slowly, because she hadn't really thought about it before. In some ways, Huey did kind of remind her of Webby, but she wasn't sure if 'thoughtfulness' was really a fitting description for herself, in any sense of the word.

"But yeah. Huey asked me to the dance, mostly because Louie had asked Webby and this way we didn't get left out."

[outofyourshadow]

For her part, she wasn't really expecting him to apologize. But she wasn't going to offer another one either. She'd apologized for her mistake before, and if he wasn't going to accept it then there wasn't anything more she could do.

"Yeah. Since you had asked Webby already, I guess he didn't want either of us to feel left out."

[outofyourshadow]

She can't help a snicker at that. "Yeah, I always thought that these kind of events would be pretty dull. But this one actually hasn't been so bad."

Then, glancing at him, she grins. "Have you tried dancing yet?"

[outofyourshadow]

She does catch the irony in his statement, but other than a raised brow she doesn't comment. Instead she glances out at the dance floor as the current song comes to an end.

"Hey, it could be worse. We could have that, and it still be boring."

Then she glanced at him again with a small grin.

"Besides, at least you came with good company, right?"

Because she's definitely heard by now who he's with.